I don’t profess at all to know a lot about art.
What I do know is that Illy, for over 30 years now, has worked with some of the world’s most famous and sought after contemporary artists to create visual artistry around the iconic illy Cup.
And I also know this: espresso is such a sensory, tactile experience, having a “perfect cup” for the beverage elevates everything. If you love and appreciate contemporary art, and want one of the best espresso cups ever designed, you need to be looking at illy’s famous cup.
The illy Art Collection series has featured visual work by the likes of Sandro Chia, Andrea Manetti, An Du, James Rosenquist, David Byrne, Peter Roesch, Jeff Koons, Marina Abramovic, Haim Steinbach, Jannis Kounellis, Pedro Almodova, Michael Butler, Daniel Buren, Kiki Smith, Yoko Ono, Emilio Pucci, Alanis Morisette, Max Petrone, Ai Weiwei, and many others. Over 125 different artists, in fact.
I am a long standing illy Cup Art Collection collector. I own roughly 85% of all the sets illy has ever released, including some double sets. All told, illy has commissioned roughly 165 art collection sets since 1992; some sets are single cups, some are a pair, some are six cups and saucers, each with their own design.
Each year, illy releases between two and four collections featuring contemporary artists. They usually release the cups in two categories: the actual art series cups, which are all signed and numbered, and “bar sets” for use in cafes and restaurants.
The bar sets are distinguished by several factors. First, inside the cups they have printed “illy espresso” near the inner rim. Second, they usually do not come with matching saucers. Third, their overall quality isn’t at the highest standards the art series cups are held to (that said, they are still very well made porcelain). And last, they are usually a lot cheaper than the art series cups*.
2022 was an unusual year for illy because released cup designs by seven different artists, though six of the seven were in a single collection for the 2022 Biennale Arte Event in Venice, Italy. There were two solo releases: the Human Fingerprint by Matteo Thun (who also happens to be the designer of the original illy cup), and a six and two cup set by Pascale Marthine Tayou. Our focus is on the latter.
Pasquale Marthine Tayou illy Art Collection Sets
Tayou is a Cameroonian artist based out of Ghent, Belgium. He is famous for his use of a wide variety of mediums to redefine postcolonial culture and put focus on globalisation and the modernizing of cultures, often in a critical light. Tayou’s art is often recognizable because of the tribal cultural forms displayed. His primary work can be found at the Galleria Continua.
Tayou’s art for this illy Art Collection series focuses on masks, something he frequently incorporates, and the “Treeg”, or tree-egg, a tree with branches full of coloured eggs, that bloom like flowers. The tree is a symbol of growth and life, and the eggs, in many cultures, are a symbol of perfection, and the celebration of birth and rebirth. Vibrant primary colours complete what Tayou has called “a lively tribute to a life full of possibilities”, the ultimate message he portrays with these cup designs.
We have a set of two espresso cups and saucers; there is also a set of 2 cappuccino sized cups and saucers available, and if you look around, a rare set of six espresso cups and saucers. Pricing is $80 for the set of 2 espresso cups; $90 for the set of 2 cappuccino cups. The set of six espresso cups is harder to define because they were only available for a short period, and no longer sold new by Illy.
Where to Buy
Our sole source for all the illy cups collected over the years is 1st in Coffee, who often have some back-catalog offerings for sale (and often below typical eBay or European collector website prices). If you want to get the most recent illy Art collection cups, contact them, and they should be able to help out. 1st in Coffee’s owner is also a prolific illy cup collector, and may have some unlisted back catalog cups if you really want to get a set by your favourite artist.
* a note on this: you’ll often find illy art series cups for sale on Etsy and eBay. There are many unscrupulous types out there selling the “bar set” versions of the cups as art series cups. The tell is what’s written inside the cup. Art Collection cups say that inside, on two lines: “illy”, followed by “art collection”. And the cups (and in some cases, the saucers) are signed and numbered. If the seller does not show these areas, beware, if they are asking art-collection level prices.
Mark has certified as a Canadian, USA, and World Barista Championship Judge in both sensory and technical fields, as well as working as an instructor in coffee and espresso training. He started CoffeeGeek in 2001.
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Mark Princehttps://coffeegeek.com/author/markprince/
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Mark Princehttps://coffeegeek.com/author/markprince/
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Mark Princehttps://coffeegeek.com/author/markprince/
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Mark Princehttps://coffeegeek.com/author/markprince/
One Response
I love the illy cup designs. I own three sets myself, including the David Byrne Aliens cups, which I dreamed of owning for many years after seeing them on your website way back in the early 2000s. I ended up buying a set of them around 2012, and I use them frequently, and with kidgloves! I also own the Pucci cups from a few years ago. I saw them for sale at a cafe that used Illy coffee for a great price, so I snapped them up.